The Door to Pornography
I do not think any of us thought we would be users of pornography.
I never thought I would be a user of porn. I definitely didn’t think I would become addicted to porn. From viewing ‘girlie magazines’ as a teenager to daily use of hardcore porn via online sites and (showing my age here) VHS tapes and DVD’s.
How did I get to this place? A place that I could not talk to my (then) wife about. Nor could I talk to my pastor or any friend about my porn use. I never wanted my son to view porn and I definitely didn’t want my daughter to view or be involved in the porn industry. Yet there I was. A user of porn.
My habit started by viewing low level porn. Then overtime it morphed into an addiction. An addiction that kept me hooked for 11 years. An 11-year addiction that destroyed my marriage. It impacted on my career, I missed opportunities in a range of areas in my life and most importantly with my marriage ending I lost time with my children. All of these occurred because of an addiction to porn.
My decision to view porn allowed a door to open in my life. The bible talks about ‘opening doors’ to sin and that it is our responsibility to turn and shut the door to sin (Genesis 4:7). This means that when we are tempted to sin, we need to make the effort to turn from the temptation. This is not always easy. Especially when we have fallen short and sinned in this area previously. It is far easier to stop viewing porn if you have only seen a few sites compared to someone who has been viewing porn for years. But the principle is the same. You must turn from sin. Ask God for strength to turn away from sin. Talk to God about your situation. He knows what your habits are. The only shame is in not talking to God. The bible tells us to confess our sins and repent.
King David was an adulterer. Yet when he confessed his sin God forgave him. My view was that if a King needed to confess his sin to God, then I am also required to confess my sin to God. I also realized that if Nathan (who confronted David) knew about King David’s sin then there are Godly people in my life who know about my sin (2 Samuel 12). This person is there to help you recognize your addiction and help you to walk free.
No one has said that breaking this habit will be easy. I have heard that it can take 30 – 60 days to break a habit. This habit takes a long time to break. If or when you make a mistake and view porn again; close the door and turn back to God. Confess and ask for forgiveness. Do not keep the door open to pornography. The hardest part about breaking this habit is talking to someone. Feel free to contact us here. We have walked in your shoes. Some of us have lost our families, careers, and other areas of our life due to our addiction. The sooner you talk to someone the sooner you can close the door.
By Anon.
